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Friday, 16 June 2017

So What Do You Think of the Book?

Enough time has gone by that the early-bird orders of Paul Strand: Master of Modern Photography should have arrived in readers' mitts by now.

So what do you think of it? I'd like to hear. (We'll do this with the Friedlander books another day.)

I found this book to be an ideal way to re-acquaint with Strand's uncompromising work. Although not originals, the illustrations are gorgeous, and as a "curated show" in this book they have a cumulative power. I've been through the book four times since I got it, looking carefully, and each time I've found it to be a moving and emotional experience. It sums up a man's whole life in a rich and honorable way. Strand himself went from a vigorous and iconoclastic youth to a more principled and reflective older age; his pictures got quieter and less ambitious but more profound.

I have a fraught history with Strand—years ago, back when I was young and arrogant, I got embroiled in a public controversy that centered around him. It was a back-and-forth that played out in the pages of a magazine. But one thing I've always been on the lookout for is the tendency we humans have to become polarized by disputation. So I always try to remain open-minded and willing to modify my stances as time goes by. I made my peace with Paul Strand and his work a long time ago. Maybe he just suits me better at the age I am now.

I'm eager to know if you like the book too. I hope those who have contacted me privately will leave comments too.

The Yale SaleThe book sale is still open. This time around we're offering three excellent hardcover books for bargain prices, thanks to our friends at Yale University Press. It looks like the next sale won't happen until Fall.

This sale has been extremely popular so far; we've sold a total of over 600 copies of the three titles. Out of all those, only one book has needed to be replaced because of shipping damage (maybe two, if a reader who contacted me a few days ago also decides to request a replacement). That's a great ratio. Yale is also getting high marks from buyers for their phone service at the 800 number.

There are two ways to order: on the Internet using a code, or by phone. Here are the Internet links:

These links will take you to the US website of Yale University Press. (The UK website is not involved in the sale.) Enter the code YTOP1 if you are ordering only one Friedlander book, or YTOP2 if you are ordering both; the Strand will ring up at $39 using either code.

You can also call the 800 number of Yale University Press to order over the phone, or if you have any problems. That number is 1-800-405-1619.

If you'd like to do us a favor, please post an announcement or a link to our Yale Sale at other sites and forums you visit; the sale is not limited to people coming directly from TOP. All you need is the code to get the Yale/TOP sale prices. Here's a quick link you can use: https://tinyurl.com/yd3xa6zd

Quantities are limited. The sale will run until the end of June or until supplies run out. Shipping will vary depending on how many books you order and how far they have to go. Those charges will be applied at checkout as per Yale's normal procedures.

I'm looking forward to your comments....

Mike

Original contents copyright 2017 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)Featured Comments from:

Peter Wright [who left this comment under an unrelated post just yesterday —Ed.]: "I just got my books from the Yale Book Offer and I'm very pleased. The Friedlander books came first, and a few days later the Paul Strand book arrived. I thought at first that they had messed up, but the books were packaged separately for size/packaging reasons, (They just must have taken different routes to Canada.) After looking at the Friedlander books you won't feel guilty about selfies any more! (Or hounding your family.) The Strand book goes from 1910 to 1967—you can see the technology and ideas evolve over the years. The book is also beautifully made, and the printing excellent. $39 well spent! Thanks for making this available."

Comments

Just getting started peeling away the levels of enjoyment for my Paul Strand book. I seized right away on your point regarding tonal values for the book vs tonal values as printed but viewed under museum lighting. Who knows what illumination standard for viewing Mr Strand used over his lifetime of making prints.

I had a chance to reinforce this notion of book tonal values vs museum prints at a Chris Killip show here at The Getty. A handsomely mounted show, a great Steidl book yielding subtle differences from the exhibit -- enquiring mind fueled by TOP!

Great reproduction quality for the Strand book, and also enjoying the subtle variations in color for what are ostensibly B&W images. Kudos to TOP for opportunity and enlightenment.

Received my copy of the Strand book Tuesday. Wonderful book and, as you highlighted, the printing is first class. Bringing up the levels in printing makes it much easier to appreciate Strand’s work.

This is the first of your sales I’ve participated in. It won’t be the last.
One of the key value additions is your curation of the books. Your comments about the Strand book directly supported my decision to buy. In general, there is a lot of work out there in print, not all of it is worthy of a limited book purchase budget.

I found the service from Yale Books not up to current standards. Took them three plus days to ship and at that they did not furnish a tracking number. I was surprised they did not offer USPS Media Mail rates, still their charges for shipping were in line with the value of the product. The book was well packaged and in physically good condition.

I look forward to many hours of enjoyment and learning from the Strand book. Thank you.

I've put my order in for the Strand volume. I have Tir a Mhurain, Un Paese, an original "Time in New England" and the Maria Morris Hambourg curated volume from the Met of 1916 pictures by Strand already. But none of the prints in any of those are really well done. I have higher hopes for this one.

Incidentally, the Yale price for shipping to me overseas is less than half what it would have cost to ship it to me in the US and then onwards to a place where I could collect it when visiting. Of course it will probably take some time to reach me.

If you get a chance to dip back into the Yale overstock, can you get a deal for Friedlander's Western Landscapes?

The first collectible vintage print I ever bought was by Strand. Works were added over the years, including his first edition books and various other compilations. I've also visited the Philadelphia Museum to see his prints in person, but somehow overlooked this wonderful book in the process. And at $39, it's one of the best bargains on my shelves. Thanks for the opportunity, and for helping to introduce Strand to a broader audience.

Mike – I have a reasonably large collection of Strand books (11 actually – just counted them), even a 1st edtn of Time in New England. I am thoroughly enjoying “Paul Strand: Master of Modern Photography”- in part because of the essays and also b/c there are many photographs that are rarely if ever seen in other of his books. The printing quality of the photographs is excellent of course.

Mike, that's quite a switch.
The first time that I communicated with you it was because you had panned Paul Strand's work in an exhibit that was playing somewhere (I forget where --Philadelphia, perhaps).
Anyhow, I'm pleased that you've come around to my POV -- even belatedly.

Very pleased with my copy of the Strand book. Years ago I visited
the Outer Hebrides, now named the Western Isles, working my way up from Barra to North Uist. Wish I had been aware of Strands work, since I was staying with the McDonald's on South Uist, I could have asked if they had or their relatives had met Strand. As for white horses, I have a wonderful photo from the trip...but it was taken on North Uist, not South Uist. The photo on page 188...I'd like to go back and see if that old building is still standing...and of course, the horses make the scene. Again, many thanks for the book sale. Looking forward to the next one.

Mike, I agree with your assessment of the Strand Book; I was fortunate enough to see the exhibit and purchase the book at that time. I have almost every strand book published but appreciate the curation and chronological arrangement of this one. Among the many Strand books published - this one is on par the the Aperture 2 volume set from the late seventies and the National Gallery of art book from the nineties though the completeness of this Book in one volume sets it apart.

I do find his later work very moving and deep. The reproductions are excellent - the show was terrific.

I got mine the 8th of June, here in Santiago - Chile, awesome mailing service. Wonderful, wonderful book, excellent printing, As Peter Wright mentioned, you see the evolution of Strand photographic mind and technology throughout the book. Really excellent book, however, to me, the best book I got from TOP offers is the outstanding "Edward Weston Life Work" from Lodima Press, truly a jewel.

I agree with all of the the accolades being heaped on the Strand book. It is simply superb. One beautiful surprise: there were a number of images, especially from Italy and Africa, that I had never seen before. Thank you for arranging this sale, Mike.

They do, They use a service called Mail Innovations http://www.upsmailinnovations.com/services/mediamail.html which is a fulfillment service where United Parcel Sercice stores the books in their warehouse and mails them to customers using the Postal Service when you send them shipping information. I am looking into using them myself or a similar service based in Hong Kong for a book project.

This allows a publisher to bypass distributors like Ingram or DAP or retailers like Amazon or worse yet some combination. Each layer of distribution marks up a book by 60 to 100 percent. Hint to publishers, if you must sell through Amazon, the markup Amazon charges in the "marketplace fulfilled by Amazon" like you were selling hair dryers is vastly less than selling through the normal Amazon books system and they get an excellent international shipping rate.

It turns out that the cost of printing is less than the cost of shipping. In some cases about ten percent. I redesigned my book to fit in an international USPS flat rate box which lowered the cost of shipping to Saudi Arabia by over $100 a book. I now know more about international shipping of books than I ever imagined. What I don't know is why the US postal service will allow you to put 60 pounds of books in an international M-Bag ( a canvas sack full of books ) but won't allow any individual book to weigh more than 4.5 pounds. Mine weighs about 11.

I'm eagerly awaiting the Friedlander books. I have a many of his self published Haywire Press books, and that one Seymore Cray commissioned but the Yale books have been on my get around to it someday list forever.

Being unsophisticated/uneducated in technical aspects of photography, it is difficult for me to comment on a particular photographer in a way that is comprehensible to those who are. I will say this, Strand's Wall Street, New York,1915 photograph is among one of the most absorbing I have ever seen; I am glad to have it available for my enjoyment. It is something to aspire to in a world where such things become harder to identify. It is something I would not have come into possession of if it were not for you effort. I am grateful.

Just got it for fathers day along with the family book by Friedlander, so I haven't had a ton of time to look at it. I often don't read a photo book well untill I've owned it for a while. My first tries are skims, and I miss a lot. But my initial impression is that it's great. Interesting to see some of his classic shots at larger size and a little more soft than when shrunk (Wall Street gives me that impression).